My two gaming groups have been bouncing this news around all morning. While no one is "anticipating" ("dreading" is more like it), one person is trying to keep an open mind, that perhaps the rule system won't be too different and he can adapt the extraordinary amount of 3.5 material to 4.0.

Did we really need this? Don't more people have access to US Mail than to the internet, even overseas? Embracing the new up and coming gamers is fine, but who got D&D this far, and who's got the $? Is there no way serve both consumers?

And, coincidentally (perhaps), this news is released on the very day my last issue of Dragon is delivered in my mailbox. _________________Droopy-99
The DM will do a lot of talking, but if he’s not rolling the dice then what he’s saying is probably not important.
I AM DEATH, NOT TAXES. I TURN UP ONLY ONCE.

- Changes in Resource Management. Are they talking about hit points, spells per day, ammunition, equipment? Who knows.

- New Encounter Design. Probably means using the system presented in Expedition to Ravenloft, where encounters are described more precisely.

- More Clearly Defined Monster Roles. Because, you know, I was always confused about what role goblins played.

- Online Subscription Only Content between $5.99 and $10 per month, probably. I probably won't subscribe unless it gets really good reviews.

Basically, this sounds like just another incremental version - fixes and tweaks. They even say the rule changes are evolutionary rather than revolutionary. More like a 3.7 than a 4.0. I think the main issue is that they're losing gamers to MMORPGs, etc., and this is their marketing effort to retake them. If their online voice chat gaming table is good, it might work._________________

Wizards does recommend you begin new campaigns with Fourth Edition. “It’s not going to be as huge a jump,” as from Second Edition to Third Edition, said Slavicsek, “but there’s enough changing in the core system of how we are doing classes and races and characters that we’re not even gonna attempt it—we’re just telling you it’s better to start over.” Conversion went over like a lead balloon with Third Edition anyway.

With the mass of supplemental books they've put out in the last 2 years, that is an awful lot of re-writes, and of course more $ for WotC. No just the core books, but FR and Eb will have to be totally re-written too. In the end, no matter how painful it is, we'll all keep playing and spending, cause we love the game... <sigh>_________________Droopy-99
The DM will do a lot of talking, but if he’s not rolling the dice then what he’s saying is probably not important.
I AM DEATH, NOT TAXES. I TURN UP ONLY ONCE.

Unfortunately, if we want to keep seeing the high-quality books for D&D, we must put up with new versions every few years. Hasbro exists to make money. If D&D doesn't make a bunch of cash, it gets cut. New versions bring in a ton of cash._________________